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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, I also moved my boys from public to private. For a smart, athletic boy, take a look at Landon, St. Alban's, Gonzaga, Bullis, and St. John's College HS. Others mentioned Prep but I think they have less scholarship aid available than Landon, Bullis,  and St. Alban's.  The Catholic schools (Gonzaga and St. John's) have financial aid but it is really focused on low income (not DCUM low income six figure salaries). Get your financial life in order NOW and consider carefully your expenditures, as you will be disclosing all of them in excruciating detail on your financial aid application.

Look at a broad range of schools and get your son booked for tours and interviews asap. He'll narrow your choices based on the feel of each school.

Some may rip these choices, but check them out yourself - you'll learn so much seeing them first-hand.

Landon has the best admissions process, IMHO. Len Armstrong is really great at making kids and parents comfortable. The Director of Financial Aid also offers a seminar - in August, I think - which was incredibly helpful. Their athletics and academics are truly top notch. Landon is secular but has a strong (and stronger) emphasis on service and ethics. They really "get" boys. I was prepared not to like it based on its reputation here, but walked away incredibly impressed. They do drive the boys very hard, so be sure your son is willing to work very hard. Very diverse student body.

St. Alban's will be the toughest to get into. There's a lot on the boards about St. Alban's, so I'll leave that as is. If you live far away, they may offer your son a scholarship with boarding.

Bullis gets a bad rep on the boards, but it has its strengths. I would rank it below the other schools mentioned here, but act very interested - you may get more scholarship money that way. It is not as demanding as the other schools, but a self-motivated student-athlete can avail himself of its many top-notch offerings. Kids with issues are known to get lost at Bullis. They are too lax with the kids.

St. John's College High School's Scholars Program. It provides a partial scholarship (@ $4k to $8k each year off an already reasonable tuition of @ $20k), international travel, and many special opportunities within a small cohort (@ 40?) in a class of 250 - 300. SJC is committed to true diversity - there are kids from SE DC, PG, etc who travel hours to make it to school, and there are kids whose parents live in NWDC, Bethesda, etc and drive luxury cars. The athletic facilities are college-level, thanks in part to millions from alum Kevin Plank, founder of UnderArmour. They have students from many religious backgrounds - but it is a place that emphasizes prayer. Kids love it. This year's class is the most competitive ever, and those kids applied before the new performing arts center was finished. Beautiful campus adjacent to Rock Creek. Bus and shuttle service through upper MoCo, Eastern MoCo, DC metro stops and NoVA. It is a very traditional place.

Gonzaga is somewhat similar to SJC (conservative Catholic, diverse student body) but an all boys school with higher admission standards (except as compared to the SJC Scholars Program). Located in the city, they have a soup kitchen on premises, focus on brotherhood and service. Great athletics, though sports facilities are not as posh as St John's College High School.

Test prep is critical for all schools. Start now, many private school kids worked on test prep all summer long with expensive private tutors. For both Gonzaga and Prep, have your kid shadow and prep well for the HSPT. The English section is a killer - much tougher than the public testing your kid is used to.

I don't think you'll have luck with scholarships at Prep. Go for it, but I think they have less $$$ in their budget than the other schools and unlike Gonzaga and St. Alban's, they have a high tuition.  Bullis may be a good shot, definitely try St. Alban's and Gonzaga. Sidwell and GDS do not have strong athletic programs.

Good luck and post back! [/quote

This was so helpful.  Thank you![/quote]

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